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Thinking

1.
FIT TO THINK: CONCEPTUAL, CRITICAL & CREATIVE THINKING M.L.PANDIA

2.
Why This is Important <ul><li>Even in combat, how well you think is more important to how well you fight than how physically fit you are </li></ul><ul><li>A wrong decision, an unasked question, a forgotten task, an incomplete analysis, or a poor synthesis can kill you </li></ul><ul><li>You must exert mental sweat as well as physical sweat to be “Fit to Fight” </li></ul><ul><li>Good decisions require good thinking! </li></ul>

3.
To Think <ul><li>To form or conceive in the mind </li></ul><ul><li>To meditate, ponder, analyze or examine </li></ul><ul><li>To have in mind as a plan, intent, or purpose; intend </li></ul><ul><li>To hold as an opinion; believe ; suppose </li></ul><ul><li>To reflect upon the matter in question </li></ul><ul><li>To anticipate or expect </li></ul><ul><li>To make a mental discovery </li></ul>

4.
Idea <ul><li>any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness or activity </li></ul><ul><li>a thought , conception or notion </li></ul><ul><li>an impression </li></ul><ul><li>a plan of action; an intention </li></ul>

5.
Why Do We Use A Light Bulb For An Idea? <ul><li>“ Let there be light!” </li></ul><ul><li>See where there was dark before </li></ul><ul><li>Come to know and understand because we can see better... </li></ul><ul><li>Who invented the light bulb? </li></ul><ul><li>Thomas Alva Edison in 1879 </li></ul><ul><li>America’s most famous inventor </li></ul><ul><li>Light bulb = invention = idea </li></ul>

6.
Conceptual <ul><li>Pertaining to concepts or the forming of concepts </li></ul><ul><li>CONCEPT-- </li></ul><ul><li>a general notion or idea; conception </li></ul><ul><li>an idea of something formed by mentally combining all its characteristics or particulars : a construct </li></ul><ul><li>a directly conceived or intuited object </li></ul>

8.
Utility and Value <ul><li>Concepts should be broad enough to be useful </li></ul><ul><li>Concepts should be specific enough to be of value </li></ul><ul><li>The “Goldilocks Problem” </li></ul><ul><li>Like programming </li></ul><ul><li>Able to be amended and modified </li></ul><ul><li>Not limited by time and place </li></ul>

9.
Example <ul><li>Government is a concept </li></ul><ul><li>It refers to a process, a means of decision making </li></ul><ul><li>It is not bounded by time, size, place but links means and ends </li></ul><ul><li>It is about both purposes and processes </li></ul><ul><li>It permits comparison across cultures </li></ul><ul><li>Focuses on how people make rules for living together </li></ul>

10.
Example <ul><li>Air Power is a concept </li></ul><ul><li>What are the attributes of air power? </li></ul><ul><li>How is it defined? Measured? Assessed? </li></ul><ul><li>There are different kinds of air power </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Purpose Performance </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Methods Munitions </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Platforms Personnel </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Concepts can be used in myriad ways </li></ul>

11.
Critical <ul><li>Inclined to find fault or judge with severity </li></ul><ul><li>Occupied with or skilled in criticism </li></ul><ul><li>Involving skilful judgment as to truth, merit. etc. </li></ul><ul><li>Pertaining to or of the nature of crisis </li></ul><ul><li>Involving grave uncertainty, risk, peril , etc.; dangerous </li></ul>

12.
Critical Thinking Is . . . <ul><li>It is easy–almost natural—to criticize </li></ul><ul><li>Others! </li></ul><ul><li>We can all improve on someone else’s ideas, behavior, performance, etc. </li></ul><ul><li>Difficult--to do well and effectively </li></ul><ul><li>To find root causes of why things are sub-par </li></ul><ul><li>Perfection is elusive and there is always room for improvement </li></ul>

13.
The Two Cultures <ul><li>You will be irritated with how critical civilian academics are </li></ul><ul><li>Academics are by nature critical—they are educated by asking hard questions </li></ul><ul><li>Those in the military are trained to be team players </li></ul><ul><li>It is essential to mission effectiveness </li></ul><ul><li>It will be a challenge for many of you to learn how to ask tough questions of yourself and others </li></ul>

15.
Good Critical Thinking <ul><li>Requires ability to assess premises of argument </li></ul><ul><li>Premises state the assumptions of logic to follow </li></ul><ul><li>They are the starting point of argumentation </li></ul><ul><li>If the premises are faulty, then the argument is also </li></ul><ul><li>Critical thinking begins with an assessment of the premises </li></ul>

17.
False Dilemma <ul><li>Either science can explain how a person was cured of a fatal disease or it was a miracle. </li></ul><ul><li>Science can’t explain how he was cured. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore it was a miracle. </li></ul><ul><li>The two alternatives are not exhaustive </li></ul><ul><li>Since there are other options, the argument is fallacious </li></ul>

18.
Equivocation <ul><li>It is the duty of the press to publish news that’s in the public interest. </li></ul><ul><li>There is great public interest in UFOs. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore the press fails in its duty if it does not publish news about UFOs. </li></ul><ul><li>“ Public interest” = public welfare </li></ul><ul><li>“ Public interest” = what public is interested in </li></ul><ul><li>Switched meaning invalidates argument </li></ul>

19.
Composition <ul><li>Subatomic particles are lifeless. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, anything made of them is lifeless. </li></ul><ul><li>Whole may be greater than the sum of its parts. </li></ul><ul><li>Emergent properties (water molecule and wetness) are important </li></ul><ul><li>Fallacy is assuming that what is true of parts is true of whole. </li></ul>

20.
Division <ul><li>We are alive. </li></ul><ul><li>We are made of sub-atomic particles. </li></ul><ul><li>Sub atomic particles are alive. </li></ul><ul><li>The converse of the fallacy of composition </li></ul><ul><li>What is true of the whole is not necessarily true of the parts. </li></ul><ul><li>Components do not equal wholes. </li></ul>

21.
Appeal to the Person <ul><li>You can’t believe anything Smith says about the military. </li></ul><ul><li>He’s never been in the military. </li></ul><ul><li>Anything he says about it is suspect. </li></ul><ul><li>An argument should stand or fall on its merits, not who proposes it </li></ul><ul><li>Crazy people can make rational statements & sane people non-sense </li></ul><ul><li>You don’t have to be a pig to be a pig farmer! </li></ul>

22.
Genetic Fallacy <ul><li>The insight about how molecules arrange themselves came from a vision. </li></ul><ul><li>A vision is not a scientific experiment. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, the snake biting its tail arrangement for benzene molecules is erroneous. </li></ul><ul><li>The origin of a claim is irrelevant to truth or falsity. </li></ul><ul><li>Depends on evidence supporting it. </li></ul>

23.
Appeal to Authority <ul><li>Linus Pauling won a Nobel Prize. </li></ul><ul><li>Pauling says massive doses of vitamin C prevents colds, increases life expectancy. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore I should take lots of vitamin C. </li></ul><ul><li>Appeal to celebrity or famous person is not a proof of contention or endorsement. </li></ul><ul><li>May be true but the fact that he says so is irrelevant to proof. </li></ul>

24.
Appeal to the Masses <ul><li>Everybody I know is taking money out of the stock market. </li></ul><ul><li>Because they are doing it, I should too. </li></ul><ul><li>Quantity of examples of a behavior is not necessarily proof, just popularity. </li></ul><ul><li>(“100,000 lemmings can’t be wrong!) </li></ul><ul><li>Popularity is not a reliable indicator of reality, truth or value. </li></ul>

25.
Appeal to Tradition <ul><li>Astrology has been around for ages. </li></ul><ul><li>Important people believed in its utility—(Caesar, Hitler, the Reagans) </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, there must be something to it. </li></ul><ul><li>Fact that an idea has been around for a long time does not mean it is true or that it should be continued. </li></ul><ul><li>Slavery was a “tradition” before outlawed. </li></ul>

26.
Appeal to Ignorance <ul><li>Bigfoot must exist because nobody has been able to prove he doesn’t. </li></ul><ul><li>Inability to prove one thing does not mean opposite is true—both may be wrong. </li></ul><ul><li>Assumes lack of evidence for one thing is good evidence for opposite proposition. </li></ul><ul><li>Lack of evidence proves nothing—necessarily. </li></ul>

27.
Appeal to Fear <ul><li>If you do not convict this criminal, one of you may be the next victim. </li></ul><ul><li>What defendant, even if guilty, has done in the past, is not proof of what he/she will do in future. </li></ul><ul><li>What someone may do in future does not prove what they did in the past. </li></ul><ul><li>Threats extort but don’t necessarily promote truth. </li></ul>

28.
Hasty Generalization <ul><li>I know a professor. </li></ul><ul><li>He is more than a bit weird. </li></ul><ul><li>Academics are oddballs and not to be trusted. </li></ul><ul><li>Can’t judge a class of people by observing only one—or many. </li></ul><ul><li>Inference is legitimate only if the sample is representative of the class investigated. </li></ul><ul><li>There are usually exceptions to generalizations. </li></ul>

29.
Faulty Analogy <ul><li>Astronauts wear helmets and fly in spaceships. </li></ul><ul><li>Figures in Mayan carvings seem to be wearing a helmet and flying in a spaceship. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, it is a carving of an ancient astronaut. </li></ul><ul><li>Carvings may bear greater resemblance to ceremonial headdress and fire. </li></ul><ul><li>May make false connections in similarities/ dissimilarities. </li></ul>

30.
Faulty Cause <ul><li>Night follows day. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, day causes night. </li></ul><ul><li>Because two events are constantly linked does not mean that one causes the other. </li></ul><ul><li>When the US relies on airpower, wars are short. </li></ul><ul><li>Therefore, the use of precise airpower causes short wars. </li></ul><ul><li>May be other factors involved—causal connection assumed, not proven. </li></ul>

31.
Argumentation <ul><li>The process of arriving at reasons and conclusions </li></ul><ul><li>Involves marshaling evidence in support of valid statements built on sound premises </li></ul><ul><li>Mark Twain’s caution—the American predilection for confusing law courts and revival meetings </li></ul>

32.
Objectivity <ul><li>Object (n.)—1. a material thing; 2. a purpose, end or goal </li></ul><ul><li>Object (v.)—to be opposed; to feel or express disapproval </li></ul><ul><li>Objective—independent of the mind; real </li></ul><ul><li>Objectivity—state or quality of being objective (without bias or prejudice); objective reality </li></ul>

33.
Creative <ul><li>Having the quality or power of creating </li></ul><ul><li>Resulting from originality of thought , expression, etc. </li></ul><ul><li>Originative, productive </li></ul><ul><li>CREATE-- </li></ul><ul><li>to evolve from one’s own thought or imagination </li></ul><ul><li>to cause to happen ; bring about; arrange as by intention or design </li></ul>

34.
Thoughts On Creativity <ul><li>Creativity is a lot like golf and sex . . . </li></ul><ul><li>(doesn’t have to be perfect to be worthwhile) </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity is rare </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity is non-linear, right brain </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity is difficult </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity breaks boundaries </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity embraces novelty </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity is play and improvisation </li></ul><ul><li>Creativity emphasizes alternatives </li></ul>

35.
On The Need For Creative Thinking <ul><li>“ The most indispensable attribute of the great captain is imagination.” </li></ul><ul><li>General of the Army </li></ul><ul><li>Douglas MacArthur </li></ul><ul><li>Letter to Liddell Hart, 1959 </li></ul>

37.
Questions <ul><li>Questions precede answers </li></ul><ul><li>Everything is an answer without a question </li></ul><ul><li>Questions help discriminate among massive amounts of data </li></ul><ul><li>The “need to know principle” </li></ul><ul><ul><li>What do you need to know? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Why do you need to know it? </li></ul></ul>

38.
The Importance of Questions <ul><li>Comes form Latin quaerere (to ask, to seek) </li></ul><ul><li>You are on a quest for meaning and understanding when you read </li></ul><ul><li>If you don’t know where you are going, it doesn’t matter which road you take </li></ul><ul><li>Know your direction if not your destination when you start your journey </li></ul>

39.
Questions <ul><li>Who, What, Where, When? (Information) </li></ul><ul><li>How and Why? (Analysis) </li></ul><ul><li>The right questions and the right combination of questions </li></ul><ul><li>The right sequence of questions </li></ul><ul><li>The questions generated by your questions </li></ul><ul><li>Ask “why” five times </li></ul>

41.
Why Connections Are Vital <ul><li>Patterns of thought </li></ul><ul><ul><li>deductive </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>inductive </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Extend knowledge by linkages </li></ul><ul><ul><li>build bridges from what we do know to what we don’t know </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>“ from near to far” </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Neural networks & synapses in our brain work in patterns of random connections </li></ul>

42.
Your Task <ul><li>“ Our challenge in this new century is a difficult one; to defend our nation against the unknown, the uncertain, the unseen and the unexpected.” </li></ul><ul><li>Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense </li></ul>

44.
Analogies <ul><li>A partial similarity between like features of two things on which a comparison may be based </li></ul><ul><li>A way of building connections and finding patterns of similarity </li></ul><ul><ul><li>structures </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>functions </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Types of analogies: personal, direct, symbolic and fantasy </li></ul>

45.
Analogies <ul><li>Personal--imagine you are a wall covering--What fears do you have? What could hurt you? </li></ul><ul><li>Development of fire retardant, non-toxic items </li></ul><ul><li>Direct--George de Mestral & burrs--How do they cling to clothes, dogs? </li></ul><ul><li>Make a great fastener--VELCRO! </li></ul><ul><li>Symbolic--Snake swallowing its tail--Friederich von Kukule & benzene molecules </li></ul><ul><li>Ring structure of aromatic compounds </li></ul>

47.
Forced Associations <ul><li>A way of making connections among supposedly disparate items to see what one can learn about each of them and what new combinations may emerge </li></ul><ul><li>Examples-- </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Animals and weapons systems— </li></ul></ul><ul><li>AFRL does this routinely—engineer the organic and make the organic engineered </li></ul>

49.
Answers <ul><li>n.—Something said or written in response to a question; the solution to a problem </li></ul><ul><li>vt.—to reply to; to respond to a signal; to fulfill satisfactorily </li></ul><ul><li>vi.—to reply in words or by action; to react to a stimulus; to serve the purpose, be sufficient; satisfy in detail the question asked </li></ul><ul><li>There are no answers without questions—make sure you know what the question is that the answer relates to </li></ul><ul><li>Miscellaneous facts are NOT answers </li></ul>

50.
Thinking & Winning <ul><li>YOUR MIND IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT WEAPON-- </li></ul><ul><ul><li>With a good one, other weapons are more useful, sometimes unnecessary </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>With a poor one, other weapons are useless to achieve victory </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>You must learn confront the unknown, the uncertain and the unknowable </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Exercise your brain as well as your body </li></ul></ul>

51.
The Bottom Line— Hammond’s Laws <ul><li>You are only as good as your mind--it is your best weapon for survival </li></ul><ul><li>Knowledge is a force multiplier and the key to successful adaptation </li></ul><ul><li>Learning how to think quickly and well is more important than learning what to think—learn how to learn for yourself </li></ul>

52.
POINT TO PONDER <ul><li>“ When we fight the next war, I hope we do it from the neck up instead of from the neck down.” </li></ul><ul><li>Jimmy Doolittle </li></ul>

53.
So . . . <ul><li>This is no bull—it is central to your competence, regardless of your service, career field, assignment or mission </li></ul><ul><li>You must PRACTICE good thinking skills—they don’t happen by accident </li></ul><ul><li>If you don’t do it, it won’t get done </li></ul><ul><li>If not now, when? If not here where? If not you, who? </li></ul>

54.
BOOKS ON THINKING <ul><li>Roger van Oech </li></ul><ul><ul><li>A Kick in the Seat of the Pants </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>A Whack on the Side of the Head </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Michael Michalko, Thinkertoys </li></ul><ul><li>Michael J. Gelb, How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci </li></ul><ul><li>David Hackett Fischer, Historians’ Fallacies </li></ul>